Pulley.



T. X.l JONES.

PULLEY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 190B.

936,778, Patented o@t.12,19o9.

figg; 4.

rHoMAs X. JONES, or coLUMBrs, oH'ro, AssIGNoR To RICHARD s. JONES, orRACINE,

wiscoNsIN;

PULLEY. V

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed August 18, 1908. Serial No. 449,050.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS X. JONES, citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Chio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pulleys, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pulleys, and has for its objectthe provision of a device of this character which will automaticallylock or cause the gripping of the cord or rope employed when itisreleased after a hoisting operation.

My improved pulley is designed primarily for coperation with a windowshade adjuster, and I have therefore shown and shall describe it in thatconnection, but it will be understood that the pulley is also welladapted for other uses,`such as raising and lowering loads in general,and in all combinations of hoisting apparatus where it is desirable togrip and hold the hoisting rope.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of my improved pulley; Fig. 2 is asection through the same taken on line m-a of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is asimilar section, taken on line y-z of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a generalview illustrating the invention applied to a shade adjuster; and Fig. 5shows a modification.

Referring to the drawings, A is the pulley, shown as of the usualcylindrical form and rotatably mounted at t on the fixed support B. Thepulley is provided with an operative contact surface, shown as a grooveC, for engagement with a hoisting line, rope or strap, this groove Cextending around the circumference of the pulley in a plane slightlyoblique to the axis thereof.

Extending from the operative groove C is a spirally arranged branchContact surface in a curve of increasing radius, shown as branch grooveD having a depth decreasing from the juncture of the grooves. Theincreasing radius of the spiral branch contact surface, represented bythe decreasing depth of branch groove D, causes this surface to approachthe xed coperating surface b of support B as the pulley revolves in theproper direction.

In order to render the locking or gripping action of the pulleyautomatic, I provide what I have termed a guiding means or guide ridge Eextending across the operative contact surface or groove C at oradjacent its junctlon with branch contact surface or groove D. Thisguide ridge is of such height, and is so disposed, as not to interferewith the normal working of the pulley when raising or lowering a load,but when the hoisting cord or rope is released and its tension therebyrelieved the partial backward rotation of the pulley defiects the slackend of the cord or rope onto the branch contact surface, when a slightlyfurther rotation in the same direction then causes the cord or rope tobe gripped between the spiral branch contact surface and the fixedcooperating surface b. When further operation is required, a pull uponthe free end of the cord or rope will release the same. It will thus beseen that the gripping and re# leasing of the cord or rope is entirelyautomatic.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my improved automatic pulley in combination witha shade adjuster, the novel features of which will be made the subjectof a separate application. In said figure, F is a window frame, G ashade roller adjustably mounted by being suspended from cords g passingover pulleys g1 g2. Cords g are preferably united at g3 to a singlehoisting cord gt which passes under the automatic pulley A.

It will of course be understood. that my improved pulley is intended forother uses and in all combinations where its advantages of constructionmake it desirable. It will further be understood that I am not limitedto a single branch contact surface or groove, but there may be severalof these extending on the same side or on opposite sides of the maincontact surface or groove, as illustrated in Fig. -5, this arrangementbeing particularly desirable for pulleys of larger size, when the numberof branches is optional or according to the size of the pulley.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to. secureby Letters Patent of the United States is,-

1. A pulley having an operative contact surface for engagement with ahoisting line or rope and mounted in proximity to a cooperating fixedsurface, a spirally arranged branch contact surface extending from saidoperative contact surface in a curve of increasing radius, and guidingmeans beginning upon and extending from said operativecontact surface tosaid branch Contact surface, .substantially as described.

y 2. A pulley having a face provided With an opera-tive groove andmounted in proximity to a coperating fixed surface, a branch groove ofgradually decreasing depth eX- tending from Aoperative groove, and aguide reach extending across said operative groove to the entrance ofsaid branch groove, substantially as described.

3. A pulley having a face provided with a substantially annularoperative groove and mounted in proximity to a cooperating fixedsurface, a branch groove of gradually decreasing depth extending fromsaid operative groove and .adapted to clamp a hoisting line or rope, anda guide ridge at the juncture of said grooves extending into saidoperative groove and arranged to deflect a hoisting line or rope intosaid branch groove when the hoisting tension is relieved, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have ahxed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS X. JONES. Witnesses:

LYDIA E. CUNNINGHAM, J. J. VVALDVOGEL'.

